Buttonhole-sewing machine.



No. 800,158. PATENTED SEPT. 26,1905. a. s. HILL, I

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE. ABPLIOATION FILED JUNE 26,1901.

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PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

No. eoo ,15ai I i G. s. HILL.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26,1901.

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PATENTED SEPT. 26,1905. G. s. HILL. BUTTONHOLB SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1901.

PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

I e. s. HILL. BUTTONHOLB SEWING MACHINE.

APP LIOATION FILED JUNE 26,1901.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4 WITNESSES PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905. G- s. HIVLL. rBUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.19011 7'SHEBTS-SHEET 5. I

Fish- WITNESEEE; Maw M IN ENTURI PATBNTED SEPTL26, 1905.'

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APPLIOATION FILED JUIE 26. 1901- v WW I MM 00.. rwta-Llruounmiu.wunmm'on. u. c.

No. 800,153. PATENTED SEPT. 26', 1905.

1 GI SI I BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE. 7

APPLICATION rum) JUNE 26,1901.

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WITNESSEEI IN E,NT[]RI smwm afir l UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. HILL, OF BRADFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPO- RATION OF NEWJERSEY.

BUTTONHOLE-SEWING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Divisional continuation of application Serial No. 677,151, filed April11,1898. This application filed June 26, 1901. Serial No. 66,076.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. HILL, of Bradford, in the county of Essexand State of- Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Buttonhole-Sewing Machines,of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to machines for sewing buttonhole's, and has forits object to provide certain improvements in the same whereby machinesof this class are greatly simplified in construction and'rendered morehighly efficient in operation.

To these ends the invention consists of a buttonhole-sewing machinepossessing certain features of construction and relative arrangement ofparts, all as hereinafter described in connection with the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated upon the drawings, the particular features ofnovelty being pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersmarked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same lettersdesignating the same parts or features,

as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the drawings,.Figure 1 represents in full elevation abuttonhole-sewing machine embodying the invention, the bed and bed-platebeing broken away to show the parts beneath the said plate. Fig. 2represents a rear elevation of the same, the bed and bed-plate beinglikewise broken away in this view. Fig. 3 represents a front elevationwith the bed-plate raised into vertical position to show the partsmounted therebeneath. Fig. 4. represents a machine partially in planview and partially in section. In this view the bed-plate is broken awayto the right of the turret, so as to show the mechanism for transmittingmovement to the clamp-carrier and to the mechanism for partiallyrotating or oscillating the upper and the under needle. Fig. 5represents an end view of the machine, partially in section. Fig. 6represents. a section through the turret. Fig. 7 represents a horizontalsection through the hanging arm. Fig. 8 represents a transverse sectionthrough the machine on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 represents insectional view the power-transmitter and the devices whichintermittingly rotate the same. Fig. 10 represents in plan view theclamps. Fig. 11 represents in section the clamps and the device forspreading them, being a section on the line 11 11 of Fig. 10. Figs. 12and 13 represent the device for spreading the clamp. Fig. 14 shows thehooked link which controls theautomatic stop.

Referring to the drawings, in the embodiment of the invention thereinshown and selected for the purpose of illustration the base A, thebed-plate A hinged thereto, and the overhanging arm A may be of anypreferred construction, my invention not relating to these parts, but tothe mechanism which I shall subsequently describe as being supportedthereby.

Inasmuch as this application is adivisional continuation of applicationSerial No. 677, 151,

filed by me April 11, 1898, which has become Patent No. 684,241,reference may be had to said patent for a description of such parts asare illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but not herein described.

Mounted in suitable bearings in the overhanging arm A is the main shafta, from which power is imparted to the upper and the under needles andmechanism for partially rotating or oscillating the same. The said mainshaft (4 is provided with a crank a, from which a connecting-rod (Zextends to a crank-arm 0? upon the end of the lower shaft 0Z As theshaft 0; rotates it imparts an oscillatory or rocking movement to theshaft 03 as will be readily understood. From this shaft power istransmitted to the various parts of the machine, including those whichaccomplish the movement of the clamp-carriage.

The cam-wheel g is secured upon a studshaft 9 depending from thebed-plate A, and secured upon its hub g is a disk 9*. (Shown in dottedlines in Figs. 4: and 9.) This disk g is provided with a series ofnotches or sockets g, in which are placed loose rolls 9, bearingagainst' springs 9 placed in the said sockets. A ring g surrounds theperiphery of the disk g and rests on a flange thereon, being providedwith a top plate 9 as shown in Fig.

1, to hold the rolls g in place. The ring g,

the disk g, and the rolls g constitute friction-clutch mechanism. forimparting a stepby-step movement to the cam, this being accomplished byoscillating the member The said member or ring g has anoutwardly-projecting arm g connected by a ball-and-socket joint with alink g, having its rear end connected to an arm 9, extending upwardlyfrom the shaft d When the-machine is set in motion, power is impartedfrom the main driving-shaft to ing a frusto-conical or Haring upper endr",

the shaft (Z and as the latter is oscillated or rocked the cam-wheel isrotated with a stepby-step movement. From this cam-wheel power istransmitted to various parts of the machineto accomplishvariousfunctions. One of the offices performed by the cam is themovement of the clamping device, which .I shall now proceed to describe.

The clamp-carrier consists of a block 7t, as shown in Fig. to which aresecured brackets it it, which are pivoted upon the said block and towhich the upper and lower members of each clamp are secured. A stud hpasses through each bracket and forms the pivot around which it mayswing. The members of each clamp comprise an under clamping-bar 7Lsecured to the bracket b. and upper clamping-bar it, secured upon a bossor lug if, arising from the said bracket. On its end each upperclamp-bar it is provided with a pivotal presser-foot 71/, having aninwardlycurved heel ]t7, the heels of the two presserfeet being almostcontiguous, as shown in Fig. 10. The upper clamp-bars it are made ofspring metal, whereby by their own resiliency they clamp the workagainst the lower clamping-bars. One of the upper clampingbars h isprovided with a cross-bar a which projects under the other bar it" ofthe upper clamp and causes it to risetherewith when it islifted. Toraise the upper bars of the clamps, a pin is passed vertically throughthe turret, being supported in a sleeve [1/ having its lower end securedin the plate 0 before referred to, these parts being shown in Fig. 6.When the turret is in the proper position, the said vertical pin isbelow the cross-bar it and also registers with a pin it, mounted uponthe end of an arm 78 secured to a sleeve 71/ loosely mounted on theshaft d (See Figs. 1 and 6.) The pin a is on a block 7t, pivoted in anear in the arm h, and a spring [L15 in a socket in the said arm bearsagainst the block b, so as to hold the pin la. in its proper position,although the latter is free to swing relatively to the arm, when the armis raised and the pin h enters the aperture in the sleeve la as itforces the vertical pin in the turret upwardly. The sleeve [L13 isprovided with a rearwardly-extending arm h connected by a link It with atreadle, (not shown,) so that upon depressing the treadle the sleeve isrocked and the pin it" is lifted to raise theupper bars of the clamp andpermit the work to be moved. The sleeve may be rocked, however, by anyother mechanism that may be desired.

To effect the movement of the clamp-earrier, I employ the followingdevices: The arm t' is pivoted to a stud c, projecting downwardly fromthe bed-plate at the left end thereof, in the rear of the shaft (F. Itis formed near its free end into a cylindrical bearing-bracket i toreceive a pintle i, havfrom which the threaded portion projects into anaperture in the clamp carrier or block /1. The lower end of the pintleis reduced and threaded to receive a conical bearing-sleeve 1" and alock-nut i. The cndsof the bracket 1' are flared to receive the saidcones, whereby 1 provide for the taking up of wear of any of the partsthrough the adjustment of the cones. The arm 1: is projected av shortdistance beyond the bearing-bracket f and is slotted, as at i to receivea stud I, passed through the slotted end of a bell-crank lover I,l'ulcrumed upon a stud 5", depending from the bed-plate A. By reason ofthe levers being connected by the stud passed through the soeket thethrow of the lever 17, and conse piently of the clamp-carrier, may bevaried to suit the length of the buttonhole-slit. The arm and the arm2'" of the bell-crank lever are substantially in alinement with eachother. as seen in plan. The other arm on the bell-crank Z is providedwith a trundle i, lying in a camslot in the cam-wheel whereby as the camrotates the bell-crank lever is oscillated to swing the arm 1: about itsaxis and etlect the forward and backward movement of theclan'ip-carrier. This clamp-carrier being secured to the pintle '5 isthus pivotally supported upon the end of the arm and is free, to swingabout the axis of the same. 'lherefore in order to effect sidewisemovement of the front ends of the clamps the block /1 is provided withan arm f, having on its end a trundle projecting into a cam-slot in thecam-wheel g. "he parts are so timed that the forward ends of the clampsare moved in a path almost similar in shape to the edges of thebuttonhole-slit. The spreading of the clamps is effected by means of thedevices illustrated more particularly in Figs. ll, 12, and 13.

Secured to the carrier or block /1. is a post j, which is hollow, asshown, and surroumling the post is a sleeve j, which is conical near itslower end, as at The upper end of the sleeve is threaded to receive. aninternallythreaded cap j, held upward by a spring j inside the hollowpost, having its upper end abutting against a stud f, pressed against a,pin j, inserted crosswise through the cap. The post j is provided atits upper end with ears orlugsj f between which is pivoted a camlever j,having its end extending through a slot in the cap and resting upon thepin j.

When the end of the cam-lever is raised, as shown in Fig. 11, the springj forces the cap upward and raises the spreading-sleeve but when the endof the lcverj is depressed the cap is forced down and the conicalportion j of the sleeve wedges between the lower clamp-bars lb andswings each pair of clamp-bars about its rear-end pivot to spread theirouter ends. The spretuling-sleeve may be adjusted to vary the spread ofthe clampbars, after which it is locked by a nut f.

To accomplish the spreading of the clampbars automatically, the lever jis provided with a pin 1' projecting into a slot in the end of abell-crank lever 1' n, secured to an arm 7' pivoted at f to the side ofthe overhanging arm a the arm n projecting into a slot in the bar a.Connected to the end of the arm 1' by a ball-and-socket joint is a linkk, which projects downward through the bedplate a and is provided on itsend with a barb or hook is. This hooked linkla projects through a slotin the end of a two-armed lever Z Z, pivoted between its ends upon ashaft 112, arranged parallel to the cutter-shaft (Z in the rear thereof.The lever is provided with a hub fast upon the shaft m, so that when itis rocked or tilted the shaft is rocked to accomplish a function to besubsequently set forth.

Arranged longitudinally in the arm Z is a socket to receive aspring-pressed stud Z which tends to throw the'link 70 forward,-so thatits barb or hook will engage the end of the lever Z. Pivoted to theopposite end Z of the lever is a rod Z which hangs loosely into a socketin the end of a reciprocating bar Z driven by the usualtransmitter-shaft, (not shown',) from which movement is transmitted tothe main driving shaft of the machine through the belt beforedescribed.This transmitter-shaft is indicated at Z and it reciprocates the tubularbar Z" through the medium of a crank Zi, eccentric, or any other devicethat may be desirable. Normally the bar Z reciprocates without effectingany movement of the bar Z and the lever Z Z, the rear end of the latterbeing normally raised by a strong spring Z, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and14:. In order to temporarily connect the reciprocating part Z and thebar Z", a latch Z is pivoted to the pintle Z (which connects the bar Zwith the end of the lever Z,) and the hooked end of the latch is adaptedto enter a notch -Z in the tubular bar Z when the latter is in itshighest position, as shown in Fig. 8. Normally the latch Z is held outof the notch by a dog Z (see Figs. 6 and 14,) pivoted in an ear on thebar Z A dog Z (see Figs. 6, 8, -andl t) is pivoted upon the lever h andis held against a stud Z (see Figs. 6 and 14,) projecting out from theside thereof by a spring Z also resting against the shaft m. When themain treadle is depressed to draw the lever it downward, the pawl Zslides by the end of the dog Z; but when the lever h is raised by thespring upon removing the foot from the treadle the dog or pawl Z engagesthe end of the dog Z and tilts it, throwing it out of the way of thelatch Z, which upon the next reciprocation of the bar Z immediatelyenters the notch Z and a single reciprocation is imparted to the lever Zby the bar Z As the bar Z rises after having been once depressed, theend of the dog Z strikes against the end 0f the pawl Z and is thrownback into its normal position to disengage the latch Z from the notch Z,the dog Z being held from vertical movement by reason of its pressingagainst the shaftm, as shown in Fig. 8. When the front end of the leverZ Z was raised, the lower end of the link Z0 entered the aperturetherein, so that when the front end of the said lever Z Z is againdepressed it draws down with it the hooked link Zr; and-swings the leverto depress the arm j and spread the clamp, it continuing to hold thelink depressed until a tripping device consisting of a bell-crank levers, pivoted on the stud 2 is actuated by a projection s on the cam g todisengage the link from the catch or lever Z.

The downward movement of the lever causes the starting of the machine,for secured to said lever is. the arm 7t, the upper end of whichprojects into a slot in the bar 64, whereby when the arm 7' is drawndownward to spread the clamps the automatic stop is thrown out ofengagement with the cam 0E and the belt is shifted from the loose pulleya to the fast pulley a While the clamp-bars are raised the operatormoves the work along underneath the clamp to place it in position forthe next buttonhole, and as he removes his foot from the treadle andpermits the bar it to swing upwardly the dog Z engages the dog Z andthrowing it out of its normal position permits the latch Z to drop intothe notch Z in the reciprocating bar Z the next time it rises.Immediately upon the engagement of the latch with the bar Z the lever Zis rocked, so that its free end engages the hooked link is. The movementof the lever Zalso draws the link Z, downward and swings the bell-cranka about its stud j. This causes two things to happen: First, the arm 1'is forced downward to cause the spreading of thework-clamps, whichimmediately closed upon the work when the foot was raised from thetreadle and the bar h in the turret returned to its normal position,and, second, it throws the automatic stop out of engagement with thefast pulley and shifts the belt a thereto from the loose pulley. As thesewing progresses the clampcarrier moves backwardly and slightly laterisrocked to swing the segments f f and cause a partial rotation of theturret and the upper needle, whereby the needles sew around the enlargedend of the buttonhole-slit, making one-half of a revolution. Then themovement of the clamp-carrier is reversed and the sewing is completedupon the opposite edge of the buttonholeslit. When the last stitch isalmost completed, the cam projection s on the cam-wheel engagesabell-crank lever s, pivoted upon the stud 'Z", and swings itsulficiently to cause it to engage the hooked end Z) of the link 71: anddisengage it from the lever Z. The link immediately rises, and theautomatic stop is forced by the spring a into position to stop therotation of the needle-shaft, at the same time the lever is raised andthe clamps are permitted to approach each other.

This application is a divisional continuation of application Serial No.677,151, filed by me April 11, 1898, which has become Patent No. 6842M.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, although without attempting to setforth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes ofits use, 1 declare that what I claim isl. A machine of the characterdescribed, comprising stitch-forming mechanism,a workholder and meansfor producing a relative movement between said stitch-forming mechanismand work-holder to sew around a buttonhole, said Work-holder com prisinga work clamp having upper and lower members, a carrier on which saidmembers of said clamp are pivotally supported, said carrier beingpivotally supported to swing in any direction in a plane parallel to theplane of the work, means for operating said carrier, and means forraising the upper members of the clamp.

2. A machine of the character described, comprising stitch formingmechanism, a work-holder and means for producing a relative movementbetween said stitch-forming mechanism and Work-holder to sew around abuttonhole, said work-holder comprising a work-clamp having members tolie respectively above and below the work, a carrier for both members ofsaid clamp, a swinging support to which said carrier is pivoted, andmeans for automatically actuating said support and said carrier.

3. A machine of the character described, comprising stitch formingmechanism, a work-holder, and means for producing a relative movementbetween said stitch-forming mechanism and work-holder to sew around abuttonhole, said work-holder comprising a work-clamp having coactingmembers to lie respectively one above and the other below the work,means enabling each of said members to be laterally spread, a carrier onwhich both clamping members are movably supported, and independentcam-actuating levers for actuating said carrier to swing said members ina plane parallel to the plane of the work.

4. A machine of the character described, comprising stitch formingmechanism, a work-holder, and means for producing a relative movementbetween said stitch-forming mechanism and work-holder to sew around abuttonhole, said work-holder comprising a work-clamp having coactingmembers to lie respectively above and below the work, a givoted carrierfor the clamp, and cam-actuated levers for actuating said carrier toswing said members in a plane parallel to the plane oi the work.

5. A machine of the character described, comprising stitch formingmechanism, a work-holder and means For producing a relativeIIIOYGIIIGDIJ between said stitch-forming mechanism and work-bolder tosew around a. buttonhole, said work-holder comprising a workclam1'having coacting members to lie respectively above and below the work, acarrier for both members oi said clamp, aswinging support to which saidcarrier is pivoted, and two separate levers for imparting to said clampa universal movement in a plane parallel to the work.

6. A machine of the character described, comprising stitch formingmechanism, a work-holder and means for producing a relative movementbetween said stitch-forming mechanism and work-holder to sew around abuttonhole, said work-holder comprising a work-clamp having coactingmembers to lie respectively above and below the work, apivotally-mounted support, automatic devices for swinging said supportabout its pivot, a work-clamp carrier pivotally mounted in said supportand movable in a plane parallel to the plane of movement of the support,and mechanism for actuating said carrier.

7. A machine of the character described, comprising stitch formingmechanism, a work-holder and means for producing a relative movementbetween said stitch-Forming mechanism and work-bolder to sew around abuttonhole, said work-holder comprising a \VOlli-Clilllll) havingcoacting members to lie respectively above and below the work, apivotally-mounted support, a clamp-carrier pivotally mounted on thesupport, and cam mechanisms for actuating the carrier and supportindependently of each other.

8. A machine of the character described, comprising stitch formingmechanism, a. work-holder and means for producing a relative movementbetween said stitch-forming mechanism and work-holder to sew around abuttonhole, said work-holder comprising two pivotally-mountedwork-clamps having coacting members to lie respectivel above and belowthe work, a pivotally-mounted support for said clamps, a pivoted levertorswinging said support about its axis of movement, and means forswinging said work-clamps on said support.

9. A buttonliole-sewingmachine comprising stitch-forming mechanism, awork-holder and means for producing a relative movement between saidstitch i'orming mechanism and work-holder to sew around a buttonhole,said work-holder comprising a work-clamp having coacting members to lieone above and the other below the work, each member having separablebars, a pivotally-mounted support llO IIS

for said clamp to which said. bars are movably attached, means forspreading the bars, and a pivoted lever for swinging said support aboutits axis ofmovement.

10. A buttonhole-sewing machine comprising a stitch-forming mechanism, aworkholder and means for producing a relative movement between saidstitch-forming mechanism and work-holder to. sew around a buttonhole,said work-holder comprising a workclamp, a carrier therefor, anoscillatory arm on which said carrier is pivotally mounted, a lever foroperating saidarm to move said carrier and clamp in one direction and anindependent lever for operating said carrier to move said clamplaterally at an angle to the direction of the first movement.

11. A buttonhole-sewing machine comprising stitch-forming mechanism, awork-holder and means for producing a relative movement between saidstitch-forming mechanism and work-holder to sew around a buttonhole,said work-holder comprising a work-clamp having members to lie one aboveand the other below the work, a carrier for said clamp, a swingingsupport on which said carrieris pivoted and carried, means for swingingthe carrier on its support and means including a cam and lever forautomatically swinging said support about its pivot.

12. A buttonh'ole-sewing machine comprising stitch-forming mechanism, awork-holder and means for producing a relative movement between saidstitch-forming mechanism and work-holder to sew around a buttonhole,said work-holder comprising a work-clamp having members to lie one aboveand the other below the work, a pivotally-mounted support, automaticdevices including a cam and a lever for swinging said support about itspivot, a workclamp carrier pivotally mounted in and-carried by saidsupport and movable in a plane I parallel to the plane of movement ofthe support, and mechanism for actuating said carrier, comprising anarm'on said carrier and a cam for operating said arm.

13. A buttonhole-sewing machine comprising stitch-forming mechanism, awork-holder and meansfor producing a relative movement between saidstitch-forming mechanism and work-holder to sew around a bu ttonhole,said work-holder comprising a work-clamp having coacting members to lieone above and the other below the work, a pivoted carrier on which theclamp members are movably supported, and independent cam-actuatedleversfor actuating said carrier to swingsaid members universally in aplane parallel to the plane of the work.

14:- A buttonhole sewing machine comprising a work-clamp having membersto, clamp and'hold the work between them, and a stitch formingmechanism, of which instrumentalities one is movable with respect to theother to sew around a buttonhole, a pivoted carrier for the movableinstrumentality, means for swinging said carrier, a pivoted support forsaid carrier, and mechanism for swinging the.

support. I a

15. A buttonhole-sewing machine comprising two' pivotally-mountedwork-clamps, a post between said clamps, a conical sleeve movable onsaid post, aspring bearing against said sleeve, and a cam-leverfulcrumed on said post and arranged to force said sleeve against saidspring to separate said clamps.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE S. HILL. Witnesses;

P. W. PEZZETTI, GEORGE PEZZETTI.

